Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Surprise Adoption

By

Chris Newcomb, M.Div.

Adoption is a wonderful gift both to the 'adopted' and the 'adopter'. A new family is created and life takes on a whole different meaning for all involved. Everyone needs to belong. Adoption provides that option for many people.

Kidnapping, on the other hand, is devastating. Personal freedom is stripped away. Dignity is thrown to the wolves. Control is lost. Powerlessness consumes.

Admittedly, the picture above was a 'comedic invite' to get you to read this blog, the content is not so funny. We are reminded today of the pain that people go through at the hands of sick individuals. The Cleveland 3 who were rescued after 10 years of imprisonment spoke out today updating the world on their current condition.

The good news is all 3 women are doing well! They are healthy, vibrant and determined to live the life they've wanted to live before having 10 years stripped from them. That is exciting to read!

One survivor, Michelle Knight, said, "I am strong enough to walk through hell with a smile." Whoa. What a powerful statement! We all know that any description of 'hell', literal or otherwise, is pretty negative. For this woman, having survived a literal 'hell on earth' for the past ten years, to choose such an attitude is inspiring, to say the least!

If you struggle with addiction, whether for 'recreational' or 'chronic pain' purposes, there is hope! You might feel like you are 'walking through hell' right now and relief seems nowhere in sight. In fact, you are starving for relief. You are thirsty for healing. You are dying for rest. Be of good cheer, my friend, there is hope!

You can learn to walk right out of the hell you are in through the power of choice. You did not choose to go into this hell. You want out. This much we know. The question is: how to get out?

Put yourself up for adoption! I know it sounds silly and I'm not denigrating the wonderful gift of adoption as mentioned earlier. What I am saying is this, just when those women thought all hope was lost, there was someone there ready to save them. There are people waiting to save you. They want to adopt you into the family of the recovered. They want to invite you into the community of the 'made whole' through sobriety and recovery. All that is required is for you to be open, willing, and to ask.

I bet you weren't thinking about getting adopted today when you started reading this article! That's ok. Sometimes surprises come at the oddest of times. The question is, what will you do with this invitation? Will you take the brave step to ask for help to get off the drugs you've been abusing for recreation and fun? Are you willing to face the unfair stigma, as incorrect as it is, that people with chronic pain taking prescription medications are just plain addicts of another stripe in order to get help?

The reality is that addiction is a no-fault disease. You're not responsible for being an addict or an alcoholic. You're not responsible for having chronic pain and needing medication to ease that pain only to find out that your brain is set up for addiction.

You are responsible, however, to stay clean. Give yourself the opportunity to leave the 'dysfunctional family' you've been living with doing drugs and alcohol and allow yourself to be adopted into a new family. Don't worry, you can keep your name. It's the inside that will change and that's all that counts!

At The Coleman Institute, we love helping people get clean and stay clean. It's our pleasure to 'adopt' people through our detox services in order to help them get healthy and whole. We're not an adoption agency however we realize detox doesn't happen in a vaccum. We are there to walk with you on your journey post-detox via encouragement and education through aftercare services. Let us help you get off the opiates, alcohol, benzos, Methadone, or Suboxone that are controlling your life right now. We're here for you!

About Me

The Coleman Institute, the Advanced Center for Addiction Treatment, is recognized as one of the most successful and innovative outpatient accelerated detox centers for addiction treatment in the country with 10 offices in the U.S.
Help, Hope and Healing Starts Here